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May 12, 2014

Recipe: Whipped Lemon Olive Oil Butter with Fresh Thyme

My husband and I had the most wonderful housemade butter at a local restaurant this weekend. It was made with goat cheese, butter, and lemon olive oil.

I had some heavy cream in the fridge, leftover from making truffles.

It's just been sitting there, getting older by the day. It was time to use it or lose it.

So after enjoying that amazing butter, I decided to whip up a homemade version of my own, without goat cheese. Homemade butter is ridiculously easy to make. All you need is heavy cream, an electric mixer (stand or hand-held) and cheese cloth.

The beauty of this gourmet whipped butter is that it's made with both cream and olive oil. The texture is smooth and silky and the flavor is light and fresh. Because the lemon flavor comes from an infused oil, you don't get the pithy tastes that often comes from using fresh zest.

If you're looking for a way to cut down on butter in favor of healthier fats, forget those processed grocery store blends. You can make your own in less than 15 minutes.

Here's how:

Whipped Lemon Olive Oil Butter with Fresh Thyme

Yield: 2/3 cup fresh butter

Time: 12 minutes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup lemon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Cheesecloth

Step 1: In a medium bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream on high speed until it breaks (5-6 minutes). The solids will completely separate and will be standing in liquid.

Step 2: Line a small bowl with the cheesecloth. Pour the butter liquid and solids into the cheesecloth, then gather to strain. Gather up the cheesecloth and gently squeeze to remove the remaining liquid. You'll be left with a solid ball of butter.

Step 3: Return the butter to the mixing bowl. Add the salt, lemon olive oil and fresh thyme. Whip on high speed for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is light and smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate for a firmer consistency.

Serving ideas: Spread onto your favorite bread, or use as a sauce for vegetables like artichokes, squash, or boiled potatoes.

Wow! It take a crazy time but it was worth the trouble because it is really pretty! I don't know if I would have the courage to make a cake such me. I'm not quite patient! hihiKisses, Auvairniton Bourgrire.